Culinary Director
Location: Big Sky, MT
Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Annual Base Salary:$120,000–$130,000
Reports To: Director of Operations / VP of Operations
Benefits: Comprehensive Healthcare Plans, Relocation & Housing Assistance, Company Growth Opportunities & Perks
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced, passionate, and hands-on Culinary Director to lead culinary operations for a dynamic hospitality organization in a mountain and resort community. This is an exciting opportunity for an accomplished Executive Chef or Culinary Director who thrives in a high-volume, guest-focused environment and brings a strong combination of culinary creativity, operational excellence, financial discipline, and team leadership.
The Culinary Director will be responsible for maintaining exceptional culinary standards, overseeing daily kitchen operations, developing and executing menus, managing food and labor costs, and recruiting, mentoring, and developing high-performing culinary teams.
This position requires a leader who is equally comfortable working alongside the culinary team during a busy service, collaborating with executive leadership on financial performance, and developing innovative dishes that enhance the guest experience.
The ideal candidate is a hospitality-driven, entrepreneurial culinary professional who understands how to balance exceptional food quality with operational efficiency and profitability. Previous experience in mountain, rural, or resort communities is highly desirable.
Key Responsibilities
Culinary Leadership & Operations
- Oversee daily culinary operations, ensuring exceptional food quality, consistency, presentation, and execution.
- Maintain the highest culinary standards through recipe development, plate specifications, cooking techniques, and quality control.
- Lead by example with a hands-on management approach, remaining actively involved in kitchen operations and service.
- Collaborate with culinary leadership on seasonal menu development, new dishes, and evolving culinary programs.
- Maintain organized, efficient kitchen systems that support high-volume execution without compromising quality.
- Oversee food production, purchasing, receiving, inventory management, and kitchen organization.
- Ensure proper maintenance and functionality of kitchen equipment and facilities.
- Support culinary initiatives, special events, and new restaurant openings as needed.
Financial Management & Business Performance
- Take ownership of culinary profitability through effective food cost, labor cost, inventory, and purchasing management.
- Analyze P&L statements, financial reports, and operational performance to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Develop and implement strategies to optimize profitability while maintaining culinary excellence.
- Utilize forecasting, recipe costing, purchasing, and labor scheduling systems to improve operational efficiency.
- Establish and maintain strong vendor relationships, negotiate purchasing opportunities, and ensure consistent product quality.
- Partner with the General Manager and executive leadership on staffing levels, scheduling, budgets, and operational goals.
- Monitor waste, portion control, product utilization, and inventory accuracy to support financial performance.
Team Leadership & Development
- Recruit, hire, train, mentor, and develop culinary employees and emerging kitchen leaders.
- Build a positive, accountable, and collaborative kitchen culture centered on professionalism, teamwork, hospitality, and culinary excellence.
- Provide ongoing coaching, constructive feedback, and performance evaluations.
- Identify and develop high-potential employees for future leadership opportunities within the organization.
- Establish clear expectations for kitchen performance, service execution, cleanliness, and professional conduct.
- Lead culinary training sessions, demonstrations, tastings, and pre-shift meetings.
- Foster open communication between BOH, FOH, restaurant management, and executive leadership.
- Promote employee engagement, retention, and a respectful, supportive working environment.
Guest Experience & Hospitality
- Champion a hospitality-first approach that prioritizes memorable dining experiences and consistent culinary execution.
- Collaborate with FOH leadership to ensure seamless communication and service.
- Maintain a visible presence during service and engage with guests to gather feedback and build lasting relationships.
- Partner with management on special events, local marketing initiatives, and community engagement opportunities.
- Ensure menu offerings reflect the restaurant's identity while appealing to both local guests and visitors.
- Maintain a strong understanding of guest preferences, dining trends, and opportunities to enhance the culinary experience.
Food Safety, Compliance & Standards
- Maintain strict adherence to all food safety, sanitation, and health department regulations.
- Ensure compliance with company policies, operational procedures, and workplace safety standards.
- Develop and maintain accurate recipes, training materials, operational manuals, and kitchen procedures.
- Oversee proper food storage, labeling, handling, temperature controls, and sanitation practices.
- Maintain a safe, clean, organized, and professionally managed kitchen environment.
Qualifications
- Minimum 4+ years of experience as an Executive Chef or Chef de Cuisine in a high-volume, upscale restaurant or hospitality environment.
- Proven success leading culinary teams, maintaining high food quality standards, and managing kitchen profitability.
- Strong understanding of P&L management, food and labor costing, budgeting, purchasing, inventory, and financial performance.
- Experience with menu development, recipe costing, seasonal programming, and culinary innovation.
- Demonstrated ability to recruit, train, motivate, and retain high-performing culinary teams.
- Experience executing large-scale events, banquets, or special culinary programming.
- Restaurant opening experience is a plus.
- Previous experience in mountain, rural, resort, or destination hospitality environments is strongly preferred.
- Culinary Arts degree preferred.
- ServSafe Manager Certification required.
- Proficiency with Google Workspace, Toast POS, purchasing and recipe-costing software, and labor scheduling platforms.
- Excellent communication, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Compensation & Benefits
- Annual Base Salary: $120,000–$130,000, depending on experience and qualifications.
- Comprehensive Healthcare Plans
- Relocation & Housing Assistance
- Company Growth Opportunities
- Company Perks
- EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY